By Josephine Oguntoyinbo
Ondo State Governor, Dr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has unveiled a two-pronged empowerment programme aimed at equipping schoolgirls with digital skills and improving menstrual hygiene across the state.
The initiative, tagged “Tech a Girl; Pad a Girl Child,” was launched in Akure as part of their activities marking the 2025 International Day of the Girl Child, celebrated annually on October 11, to recognise the rights and contributions of girls around the world.
Speaking through the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr. Seun Osamaye, Aiyedatiwa said the project was designed to close the gender gap in technology while promoting menstrual health and school attendance among girls.
According to him, this year’s theme, “The Girl That I Am, The Change I Need, Girls at the Frontlines of Crisis,” celebrates the resilience and leadership of girls, stressing that they are not mere beneficiaries of change, but active participants in shaping a fairer society.
“The Tech a Girl segment is intended to provide foundational digital literacy skills crucial for success in today’s tech-driven world. We are investing in their capacity to learn, innovate and compete globally,” he said.
He explained that the Pad a Girl Child component would tackle menstrual hygiene challenges, with 5,000 sanitary pads to be distributed across the 18 local government areas of the state. The move, he noted, aims to uphold menstrual dignity and curb absenteeism among female students.
“No girl should be left behind or miss school because of her menstrual period. Providing sanitary pads and menstrual health education is an act of dignity and empowerment,” the governor added.
Aiyedatiwa charged the girls to be confident, pursue excellence and shun societal stereotypes that undermine their potential. “You are leaders of today and tomorrow. Your gender is not a limitation but a strength,” he stressed.
Chairman of the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), Mr Tomide Akinribido, described digital literacy as the new global empowerment tool, lauding the initiative as a strategic inclusion of young girls in Ondo’s technology advancement drive.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, who supervised the flag-off of the pad distribution, said the gesture would help reduce absenteeism and boost girls’ confidence in schools.
“This initiative goes beyond health, it is a bold investment in education and gender equality,” Ajibefun said.